1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for generating analysis data for analyzing (for example, thermo-fluid analyzing) an object formed by a plurality of elements based on three-dimensional design data of the object.
2) Description of the Related Art
In resent years, a three-dimensional design using CAD (Computer Aided Design) has been improved in design developments of an apparatus or the like. In order to utilize the three-dimensional CAD data (hereinafter, referred to as three-dimensional design data) generated by CAD effectively, tools for converting the three-dimensional design data into analysis data (an analysis model) for analyzing (simulating) the object has been developed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 8-263697).
When an analysis model is generated automatically with the use of such a tool, the time for generating the analysis model can be significantly reduced.
Regarding an object of an apparatus or the like, since it is difficult to show a contact condition (mode) of a contact face where end faces of a plurality of elements contact with each other in the three-dimensional design data, such a contact condition is not included in the three-dimensional design data.
Here, the contact condition of the contact face between the elements represents a contact mode at the contact face where end faces of two elements contact with each other. The contact condition is indicated by a simple contact where elements simply contact with each other, a spring contact where elements are adhered to each other by a force of a spring, an adhesive contact by an adhesive material, an adhesive contact by an adhesive sheet, a connection contact by a screw, and the like.
The contact condition of the contact face between the elements has a great influence on a thermal conduction between the elements. Accordingly, when a thermo-fluid analysis (thermal conduction analysis) is implemented with the use of thermal conductivities of the elements, it is preferable to see the conduction manner of heat between the elements (that is, a thermal conductivity) in consideration of the contact condition of the contact face between the elements. This allows an implementation of a high-accuracy thermo-fluid analysis of the object.
Conventionally, for the case that an element is changed in an analysis model for implementing a casting analysis simulation, there has been a technique for searching the changed element according to a contact condition between elements and setting a thermal transferring coefficient based on the type of the element (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-34100).
However, as described above, since the contact condition of the contact face between the elements is not included in the three-dimensional design data in conventional art, an operator manually sets thermal conductivities of contact faces in analysis data when a thermo-fluid analysis of an object is implemented.
Here, a conventional analysis data generating method will be explained, taking an example of generating analysis data of an object 100 based on three-dimensional design data of the object 100 shown in FIG. 9.
Since a heat sink 101, a heating element (for example, an LSI (Large Scale Integration)) 102, and a printed board 103, which constitute the object 100, have thicknesses greater than a predetermined level, they are included in the three-dimensional design data. Accordingly, the heat sink 101, the heating element 102, and the printed board 103 are automatically modeled by the above-described tool for generating analysis data from the three-dimensional design data.
However, an adhesive material 104 for connecting (adhering) the heat sink 101 and the heating element 102 is so thin (for example, about 20 μm), that it is not included in the three-dimensional design data.
Therefore, a person who implements an analysis (an operator) firstly interviews a designer of the object 100 to recognize a contact condition of a contact face (here, an adhesive area between the heat sink 101 and the heating element 102). Then, she/he inputs the thermal resistance (° C./W or K/W) of the contact face, that is, a thermal resistance of the adhesive material 104, with reference to a catalog or the like, defines the thickness of the adhesive material, obtains the dimension of the contact face, and obtains the thermal conductivity of the contact face based on the thermal resistance of the adhesive material, the thickness of the adhesive material, and the dimension of the contact face to add the thermal conductivity to the analysis data.
As described above, conventionally, the operator is required to input the thermal resistance based on the contact condition of the contact face manually in order to set the thermal conductivity of the contact face in the analysis data. Accordingly, it takes long time to generate the analysis data.
Further, since manual input by an operator is required, input errors or the like may be made, if there are a large number of elements in an object to be analyzed and a great number of contact faces between the elements. As a result, an accurate analysis data can not be generated and it may affect the accuracy of analysis results.